Rapid hydrolysis process for oat-based beverage composition

Abstract

Rapid hydrolysis methods for producing oat-based beverage compositions, and compositions produced thereby. Continuous flow process to yield a hydrolyzed oat-based beverage in only a few hours, comprising a sequential treatment of an oat flour slurry with glucoamylase and then alpha-amylase enzyme with respective hydrolysis times of less than about 1.5 hours to yield a final hydrolyzed oat slurry, and finishing the composition with one or more flavorings or additional ingredients yield the oat-based beverage composition.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A rapid hydrolysis method for producing an oat-based beverage composition, said method comprising:
 (a) hydrating oat flour with water in a mixer to create an oat slurry; 
 (b) treating said oat slurry with a glucoamylase enzyme for a first hydrolysis time to hydrolyze said oat flour and yield an initial hydrolyzed oat slurry; 
 (c) treating said initial hydrolyzed oat slurry produced in step (b) with an alpha-amylase enzyme for a second hydrolysis time to hydrolyze said oat flour to yield a final hydrolyzed oat slurry; and 
 (d) mixing one or more of the following ingredients with said final hydrolyzed oat slurry: stabilizer, emulsifier, salt, vegetable oil, vitamins, sweetener, flavoring agent and/or buffering agent, until homogenously combined to yield said oat-based beverage composition. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said oat flour is a colloidal whole grain oat flour. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising adjusting the pH of said oat slurry to between 5 and 6 before said treating (b) with glucoamylase. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said first hydrolysis time lasts for about 15 minutes to about 1.5 hours. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising adding a source of nutritional calcium and source of calcium ions to said initial hydrolyzed oat slurry produced in step (b) before said treating (c) with said alpha-amylase. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said second hydrolysis time lasts for about 15 minutes to about 1.5 hours. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said steps (a)-(d) are carried out as a continuous flow process. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said oat-based beverage composition is chocolate flavored, said method further comprising adding cocoa powder to said oat slurry during said hydration step (a). 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said first and second hydrolysis times are carried out for a total hydrolysis time of less than 3 hours. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the enzymes used in said method consist of glucoamylase and alpha-amylase. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said the enzymes used in said method exclude the addition of proteinase, cellulase, glucanase, and/or beta-amylase enzymes. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said glucoamylase is a fungal glucoamylase that hydrolyzes terminal (1,4)-alpha-D-glucosidic linkages successively from non-reducing ends of the oat starch to release glucose molecules, and hydrolyzes terminal (1,6)-alpha-D-glucosidic linkages in isomaltose and dextrins in said initial hydrolyzed oat slurry. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said alpha-amylase is a bacterial amylase that hydrolyzes (1,4)-alpha-D-glucosidic and (1,6)-alpha-D-glucosidic linkages at specific points producing maltose in said final hydrolyzed oat slurry. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13 , wherein said maltose is further hydrolyzed into glucose by said glucoamylase during said second hydrolysis step to yield said final hydrolyzed oat slurry. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said oat-based beverage composition is produced in less than 5 hours. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said steps (a)-(d) are carried out with a single tank and corresponding mixer in fluid communication. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 1 , wherein a filtration step is not required during any of steps (a)-(d) to yield said oat-based beverage composition. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising (e) subjecting the mixture of said ingredients and final hydrolyzed oat slurry to Ultra High Temperature (UHT) sterilization and cooling to yield said oat-based beverage composition. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 18 , further comprising (f) dispensing said oat-based beverage composition into consumer packaging, wherein said oat-based beverage composition is produced in less than about 5 hours measured from said hydrating step (a) through said dispensing step (f).